How to Perform Tricks with the Karambit Knife?
There are a lot of martial arts still practiced and studied that involve the use of knives. Most of these arts include the karambit knives. However, learning different karambit knife tricks is certainly hazardous because of the sharp blade possessed by this knife. This is the reason why several people choose the effective fighting weapon for learning tricks.
However, the only difference between the training and real karambits is the lack of sharpness of the blade of training karambit knife. Therefore, there is a lessened chance of damages, injuries, and accidents when learning tricks with the training knives. So, before you start learning the tricks, it is suggested to choose a training knife rather than an original karambit.
Performing tricks with the knives is not just difficult, it is also dangerous. You may have seen some experts performing tricks with tremendous ease and comfort. But, there is an untiring practice behind their expertise, which allows them to do the difficult tricks easily.
If you love performing tricks with different weapons to impress your friends, we encourage you continue doing so.
Karambit knife is indeed the best and easiest knife for performing tricks. You can choose different styles of karambit and get started with the tricks.
However, we recommend learn some karambit knife tricks to further improve your skill-set. But, if you are beginner, take a moment to know the two types of tricks, before we start discussing how to perform them.
And before even we talk about tricks, it is important to discuss what type of knife karambit is and what makes it easy to perform tricks with this particular knife.
What is Karambit Knife?
Karambit is a knife that hails from the Philippines. There is a French version as well but most historians believe that the earliest karambit was made by the Philippines. It was basically used as an agricultural tool and a weapon for defense, not necessarily for practicing different tricks.
Karambit has a small, curved blade and often a ring at the handle where you can put your finger in for controlling the knife. This is sometimes called a tactical ring. This ring makes it possible to perform different tricks on the knife.
Karambit is available in both folding and fixed blade versions and tricks are possible with both versions. But, we would rather on the fixed blade karambit. Now, let’s get to the tricks.
The Karambit Knife Tricks
There are basically two types of tricks that the users often perform with the karambit knives. In fact, these two are the only tricks that can be performed. First, there are the Gripping tricks and then the Transition tricks.
The first and foremost thing to test with the karambit knives is the grip. You can either grip these knives forward or reverse. However, in both cases, the point must be facing away from you. Karambits are usually smaller in size, therefore, you need to use your entire hand for gripping the handle.
If you want a more extended grip, you can loop any of your finger through the hole at the handle’s end point, and get the knife flick out and extended farther away. This is one of the fundamental karambit knife tricks that you can perform easily. Since it is a versatile knife, there are numerous other grips possible with the karambit knife. However, the above mentioned grips are the most frequent.
The next tricks that you should take on as a beginner are the transition tricks. It is highly significant to focus on transition when learning karambit knife tricks. Transition refers to altering the orientation and position of the knife.
Agility is the greatest benefit of the karambit knives. Learning the transition tricks capitalizes on this strength. If you skip this vital skill, you would miss most of the uses of karambits. Numerous people are more eager to learn tricks such as spinning and switching hands.
Because these knives are small and agile, performing such tricks is relatively easier.
Once again, as a reminder, we insist you to choose a training karambit while learning tricks because spinning can be flashy and may result in a severe injury if the blade is sharp.
Enough of instructions, now let’s discuss different karambit knife tricks, and the methods to perform these tricks.
The Karambit Grip Tricks
1- Forward Grip
Forward grip is pretty common as it offers more accuracy, stability, control, and leverage. Also known as Standard grip and Work Grip, it is best for everyday use, chores, utility tasks, and other functions where accuracy and control are essential.
For performing this trick, position the hand in a way that your palm is up and flat. Position the karambit pocket knife on the palm of your hand so that safety ring is on the left while spine is facing the body. The tip must be facing away from the body.
Now, slide the pinky finger into the ring and close your fingers around the karambit handle, you have secured the forward grip.
2- Reverse Grip
Among the grip tricks, this is the most commonly performed grip with the karambit knife. You would rely mostly on this grip as you perform tricks with the knife.
This grip may cause lack of accuracy and reach, but it will provide more control, stability, power, maneuverability and leverage. You will find this grip extremely useful in tactical and combat applications.
For performing this karambit knife trick, position the right hand in a way that your palm is up and flat. Position the karambit knife on the palm of your hand so that safety ring is on the right while spine is facing the body.
Here again, the tip must be facing away from the body. Now, slide the pinky finger into the ring and close your fingers around the knife’s handle, you have secured the reverse grip.
3- Extended Grip
This is the grip you will hold when you require more leverage, reach and maneuverability. However, you will lose accuracy, stability, control and power. You can call it an upward grip as well.
This grip is advantageous in utility functions as well as in the combat applications. For performing this grip trick, hold the karambit knife in a reverse grip position, and then rotate the blade over the index finger, towards the body, and the tip of the blade is up, until it naturally rests against the back of the fingers.
4- Reaper Grip
Many people call it a Mantis Grip as well, but it is the least used grip. However, as a learner, you should be aware of each grip position. It is pretty similar to the reverse grip, however the blade must be oriented while the tip should be facing your body.
A karambit knife held in this grip would offer enhanced leverage for hooking and pull movements and for close-quarter combats.
The Karambit Transition Tricks
The most astonishing feature of the Karambit knives is its capability of varying grips and reaching the targets, which is impossible for straighter blades without significantly changing their position.
Standing in front of something, you can insert the karambit into its back, by just a flick of your wrist. Most of the people who are not familiar with the karambits, tend to use dismiss extensions, transitions and in-use motions as showboating, superfluous and pointless.
So, by not acknowledging the advantages of karambit transitions, they restrict themselves to the static blade’s functions. There are countless transition tricks that you can perform using the karambit knives. However, all karambit knife transition tricks must be learned, practiced, and demonstrated with extensive care.
In case the blade contacts your hand, forearm or wrist accidentally, you may suffer from a serious injury and also deprive of performing the knife tricks.
1- The Spinning Trick
Spinning can be flashy, showy, and possibly useless without proper understanding, training, and practice of the application. We suggest not to spin the karambits unless you familiarize with the balance of the blade, the blade itself, the various grips of the blade into the hands, and unless you acknowledge the essential instructions of using the karambits.
Spinning is one of the tricks that must be performed using a trainer karambit knife unless you have developed your forearm muscles and hands to the extent that you reliably spin the knife with control and accuracy.
Maintaining a good control over the knife during spinning is highly crucial for performing this transition trick without damaging yourself. While learning the spinning trick, you are discovering the facts regarding momentum, weight and balance, and fighting the gravity. So, take your time to build the smaller muscles in your hands.
Spinning trick is performed during combat for gaining access to the targets that are unreachable otherwise and lead to leverage. For instance, you can spin the karambit in the torso of the attacker and then pull it back into the reverse grip.
Relying on the design of the blade, accessing to harder targets, and reaching on the extensions, you can dole out of a fight-ending blow in a unique way, that can’t be replicated by a straight blade.
Among the unmatchable benefits of the karambit knives in tactical and combat situations, the ability of spinning the knife without dropping it and better access to the targets because of the curve of the blade are the standout.
2- The Switching Hands Trick
Switching Hands is one of the easy-to-use karambit knife once you become expert after hard practice. There is a common phenomenon that you can’t switch hands using a karambit knife, but it is wrongly believed. You can switch hands more securely with these knives as compared to some straight blade knives.
There are just four steps to follow in order to master this trick.
Step 1:-
Hold the karambit knife in your right hand in a reverse grip position. Position the left hand in a way that your palm is up and turned in a horizontal manner or it faces your body in a vertical fashion.
Step 2:-
Using the right hand, start spinning the karambit knife clockwise, the same manner you would in case you were simply spinning it in a circle from the reverse grip, over the hand’s ring side and back into the reverse grip.
Just when it starts spinning, move the right hand over the rest behind the left hand.
Step 3:-
Allow the karambit knife to spin in a natural way. Just when it comes over the top of right the hand, allow it to fall as if you are about to re-grip it using the right hand. Now, it would fall across the left palm while the ring is still on the index finger of your right hand.
Step 4:-
Fold the middle finger of your left hand, pinky and ring fingers around the handle of the karambit knife and slide it off the index finger of your right hand while inserting the index finger of the left hand into the ring. This would secure the karambit in the left hand in a reverse grip position. Now, you can repeat the similar procedure for switching it to the right hand.
Safely Practice the Karambit Knife Tricks
For mastering the karambit knife tricks, it is necessary to continue practicing them unless you perform them securely. However, don’t just practice the transition and grip tricks, work on securing proper positioning and grip amid deployment.
Always keep safety as your first priority while practicing these tricks, specifically when it’s in motion. It packs a potent, and is exceptionally sharp, and may cause a devastating injury.
Also, be aware of the reach of your blade, and stay away from it to prevent from possible damage. When you are a beginner, try learning tricks with the karambit knife trainer rather than the real sharp-blade karambit.
Don’t just practice tricks, practice how to safely perform them.